E-commerce marketplace Flipkart has expanded its kirana onboarding programme to make deliveries across 850 cities in the country, even as it partnered with more 50,000 kirana stores.

The kirana programme has further been extended to remote and far away cities including places such as Tinsukia (Assam), Agartala (Tripura) and Kannur (Kerala), the company said in a statement.

“As one of the oldest retail formats in India, kiranas have one of the highest penetration and showcase effective management of the supply chain drivers such as facilities, inventory, information and sourcing, as well as in maintaining a long-standing relationship with consumers,” Flipkart Senior Vice-President Amitesh Jha said.

“Through a combination of their hyperlocal presence and innovations by Flipkart, this programme has become a great enabler in strengthening the kirana ecosystem in the country. We are pleased to witness the increasing participation from kiranas across the country to reinvent themselves and align with the fast growing e-commerce industry,” he added.

Supply chain

Flipkart is expanding the physical and digital infrastructure, strengthening its supply chain capabilities while working with multiple ecosystem partners and traditional businesses. These include freelance delivery executives and kiranas , thereby complementing their incomes and bringing more convenience to e-commerce consumers.

Last year, kiranas collectively delivered over 1 million shipments during Flipkart’s ‘The Big Billion Day’.

The kirana programme is part of Flipkart Group’s efforts to drive growth for millions of kiranas across the country. This also includes Flipkart Wholesale, a digital B2B marketplace, with an aim to connect local manufacturers and MSMEs with retailers and other businesses.

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